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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. drill — army training
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bank — of a river
  10. drill — the tool
  11. file — a tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. scale — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. file — a document
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com